Mitt Robbins

Melton James “Mitt” Robbins (1865-1953) was a Robbins resident who served as Scott County Judge in the 1920s.

See Also: Mayors of Scott County
Preceded By: James B. Chambers • Succeeded By: William A. Terry

Early Life

Born May 16, 1865, Robbins was the son of John Michael Robbins (1834-1869) and Mary Newport (1839-1915). He grew up in the Brimstone community near Robbins. When he was just four, his father was murdered by his wife’s cousin.

Robbins was the fourth of five children. He married Bettie Hughett in 1887 and they had one child, son Arthur, born in 1891. Bettie died in childbirth while their second son, John Sherman, was being born. He died two months later. Both he and his mother are buried at Hughett Cemetery.

Robbins remarried to Ettie Robbins, the younger wife of his first sister. They had eight more children: Son Arthur (born 1891), Pernie (born 1896), Glennie May (born 1901), Florence (born 1907), Melton James Jr. (born 1908), Hilton (born 1912), Ruby Alene (born 1914) and Joe Maynard (born 1918). Several of their children — Arthur, Florence and Ruby — died in infancy. Two more — Glennie and Joe — died as teenagers. Hilton also died as a child. Only Pernie and M.J. Jr. survived to adulthood.

Judge of Scott County

Robbins served as a justice of the peace, and later as a state legislator, but was best remembered locally as a county judge. He was elected Scott County Judge in the contested election of 1926, replacing James B. Chambers, and was re-elected in 1930. He left office in 1934, succeeded by William A. Terry.

In a three-way race, Robbins narrowly defeated two-time former county judge W.H. Potter in the 1926 election. Potter had previously served as judge from 1894 to 1902, and 1910 to 1918. The final vote tally between the two men was 1,065 to 1,001.

Potter challenged the results of the election, arguing that Robbins received 450 votes and he received only 68 at four precincts in the 2nd District, and that 199 of those who voted at the precincts had not paid their poll tax as required by law. In other election precincts, Robbins out-polled Potter 54 to 19 and 41 to 6, and Potter alleged that a total of 47 votes were illegally cast at those precincts. He also argued that Robbins was not qualified to hold office because he was not an attorney.

Ultimately, the Tennessee Supreme Court upheld the results of the election, saying it would have been impossible to know how the votes alleged to be illegal were apportioned between the three candidates.

Death

Robbins died on Jan. 28, 1953, at the age of 87. A funeral was held at the First Baptist Church of Robbins, and he was buried at Robbins Cemetery.